Grain-distributer.



H. B. BOZARD.

GRAIN DISTRIBUTER APPLIOATIONIILBD JULY 24. 1908.

899,711. v Patented Sept. 29, 1908.

3 BEEETS-SHBET 1.

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H. B. BOZARD. GRAIN DISTRIBUTER; APPLICATION FILED JULY 24, 1908.

I/humus H. B. BOZARD. GRAIN DISTRIBU'TER. APPLICATION FILED JULY 24,1908.

Patented Sept. 29, 1908.

HARRISON B. BOZARD, OF LINCOLN, NEBRASKA.

GRAIN-DISTRIBUTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept; 29, 1908.

. Application filed J'u1y24, 1908. Serial No. 445,240.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRISON B. BOZARD, citizen of the UnitedStatearesiding at Lincoln, in the county of Lancaster and State ofNebraska, have invented certain new and making a part of thisspecification, and to the letters and figures of reference markedthereon.

My invention relates to adjustable seed distributing devices of theclass in which a wheel is employed to feed the seed from the hopper tothe grain conduits or furrow openers, and the principal object of 'myinvention is to construct the feeder so that it Will accurately feed adesiredquantity of seed whatever may be the quantity determined on, anddo it smoothly and easily without injury to the seed, and withoutpossibility of variation from the intended adjustment by reason ofderangements ofparts of the mechanism, due to torsion or lack offirmness of support of the moving parts, and to this end my inventionconsists in the seed distributing device constructed substantially ashereinafter specified and claimed. l j

' In the drawings-Figure 1 is 'a side elevation of a seed distributorembodying my invention, one side of the wheel casing being removed; Fig.2 is a vertical section on the line 22 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 a similar viewillustrating an embodiment of my invention in which two adjustingdevices are embodied in the same distributer for sowing difierent sizesof seeds; Fig. 4 an elevation of a portion of a hopper and showingseveral distributers to illustrate the location of the lever forrotating the adjusting shaft; Fig. 5 an end elevation thereo My presentinvention is embodied in a feeding mechanism of the general typecomprising a vertical feed Wheel 10, and a casing 11 in which it ismounted to revolve so as to feed therethrough seed that enters the topthereof from a hopper 12, and deliver it from the discharge orifice 26in predetermined measured quantity. The wheel as usual is dished to forman outwardlyflaring rim or surface and provided with seed enga ing ribsor grooves and the casing is as usua formed of two matching partsrorhalves having male and female parts formed on abutting surfaces andbolted together. In all these particulars, changes can be made Withoutdeparture from my invention.

Concentric with the feed wheel is a shaft 13 of a length to pass throughseveral distributers A (see Fig. 4) on the hopper 12 and mounted in theWheel chamber upon said shaft so .as to be rotatable by the shaft, is myfeed-adjusting or regulating device. Said device comprises a centralhub-like portion 14, and an eccentric portion 15 whose peripheryconsists of a curve starting from the hub 14 and uniformly andconstantly increasing in distance from the shaft axis or in radial linesso that it is of scroll or spiral form, and as I prefer to make it, itextends through an angle of about 160, although of course, I do not confine myself to any particular angle, and at its point of greatest radiusit terminates abruptly in a radial shoulder that meets the periphery ofthe hub 14 and with a flange 16 on the casing forms a-stop to determineor fix the position of the regulator for maximum feed. When theregulator is in the position for maximum feed, the point of greatestradius is in a plane above a horizontal plane passing through the axisof the shaft and as the discharge orifice is below said horizontal planeand the outer wall of the throat and the periphery of the Wheel rim arearcs of circles or curves concentric with the shaft axis, it will beevident that by rotating the shaft and with it the regulator device tomove the ec centric portion 15 thereof downward, it will have the effectof contracting the throat or passage through which the seedis moved bythe rotation of the feed Wheel gradually and uniformly throughout theangle through which the eccentric or scroll portion of the regulatingdevice extends, and the throat or discharge passage being greatest incapacity at its end nearest the hopper and gradually and regularlydecreasing in capacity from suchpoint downward to the point ofdischarge, it will clearly be evident that with my regulator devicethere is no abrupt or violent contraction of the discharge throat,

but the contraction isa uniform and gradual one, so that'clogging of theseed and grinding of the seed will be impossible in my distributer. Inall adjustment from the position for maximum feed to the position forminimum feed there is a definite proportion maintained in the throat ordischarge passage between the inlet and discharge ends thereof and atall intermediate points.

. To prevent clogging or lodgment between the periphery of theregulator, and the wheel rim, I preferably incline it from the side nextthe bottom of the wheel chamber or cavity outward and inward toward theshaft axis so that, as is clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3 the spacebetween the periphery of the regulator and the rim of the feed wheel isan outwardly enlarging or increasing one.

A single regulator may be used, for each distributer as illustrated inFig. 2, but I prefer, as illustrated in Fig. 3 to use two regulators forone distributer, and of different sizes, so that at will, the onedistributer may be used for sowin ,seed of different finenesses, thelarger reguIator, for example, being used for sowing wheat, and thesmaller one for sowing alfalfa. In such a case as this, a single feedwheel is used, and it has a chamber or cavity in both sides, but ofdifferent diameters, in one of which is located one regulator and in theother chamber the other regulator, and both regulators are mounted onthe same shaft 13. The only difference between the two regulators andthe cavities in which they are located, is a difference of size, theform or shape of the regulators being the same and the form of the twocavities being the same. The smaller regulator is designated 15 and itshub 14 In my distributer, as illustrated in Fig. 3, each regulator hubhas an outwardly projecting collar designated 17 in the case of thelarger regulator and 17 in the case of the smaller regulator, that has abearing fitted in a circular opening in the contiguous wall of thedistributer casing, and on its inner side the hub of the smallerregulator has a collar 17 which journals the feed wheel, and the feedwheel in order to have a good bearing upon said collar on its side nextthe larger regulator has an annular flange 18, which has a bearingfitting an annular cavity or chamber in the contiguous side of the hub14 of the larger regulator. It will be seen that by the constructionthat I have just described, the bearing of the seed wheel is of suchdiameter and length, and it isso supported on opposite sides by the tworegulators that it will run easily and be restrained from movementeither in a sidewise or other direction, so that irregularity of theaction of the feed wheel and disturbance of the desired adjustment offeed are prevented. In such a case, a

shaft of good size in cross-section can be employed by reason of itslocation, concentric with the feed wheel and the wheel adjusting shaftcan be made of such size as to be free of such torsion or twisting aswould preclude accurate adjustment as to thewheel. To further eliminatetwisting or torsion of the shaft as a disturbing factor in adjusting thefeed, I mount or apply to the shaft 13, the rotating handle or lever 19at or near its longitudinal center instead of at the end as hasheretofore been done.

For accurate adjustment of the regulator, I use with the lever 19 anarc-shaped bar 20 that is secured to the hopper concentric with theshaft 13, which has a curvilinear slot engaged by a clamping bolt 21, onthe lever. 1

mark on said bar, contiguous to the clamp ing bolt, a series ofgraduations to denote the various adjustments, the clamping bolt beingprovided with or serving as an index to coact with the graduation.

For revolving the feed wheel, its periphery is provided with spur-teeth21 constituting a gear wheel that mesh with a pinion 22 on the drivingshaft 23 which is suitably geared to a source of power. The gear teethof the wheel, where they project into the hopper, are covered by ahousing 24, and said housing is utilized to support a partition 2.4" todirect the seeds to one side of the double feed wheel or the other sidethereof, as shown in Fig. 3. A suitable damper 25 is provided at the topof the partition to direct the seed from the hopper to the one side ofthe double feed wheel or the other.

With my distributer, as the adjustment of the quantity of seed to be fedis perfectly secured by the eccentric regulator, the matter of speed ofrevolution of the wheel does not enter at all as a factor, although forfeeding seed widely differing in size, it may be desired to provide, atleast two changes of speed. Of course, if desired, any number of changesof speed may be employed with my invention. Small seed requires a higherspeed, to sow accurately, than large seed.

With my distributer constructed to sow both large and small seed, it hasa greater range from maximum to minimum than any distributer now used.

The regulator is shown in full lines in Fig. 1 in the position formaximum feed, and dotted lines in said figure for minimum feed, in whichposition, the radial shoulder or the eccentric is contiguous to theoutlet 25 of the casing.

When two regulators are used for the same feed wheel, they are mountedupon the shaft 13 in the same position, so that one distributinmechanism answers for both regulators.

am aware that it has been proposed to use a swinging gate having asurface eccentric to the center of motion of the gate, but in such casethe eccentric surface was not one starting from the hub of the gate butit was on an abrupt offset froln the hub, so that an abrupt shoulder wasformed that made impossible any gradual regulation of the size of thethroat at the inlet, which is located substantially in a plane passinghorizontally through the axis of the feed wheel, with the result thatwhile the threat at and towards the outlet or discharge end might bereduced in size, there would be no corresponding or proportionatereduction at the inlet end, and the result would be such clogging of thethroat that in practice the device was inoperative. With my regulator,the eccentric surface starts immediately from the cylindrical surface ofthe hub, and gradually increases in distance from the shaft axis, sothat at all points of its adjustment from minimum to maximum feed, theentire throat is proportionately and regularly varied in size.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is 1. A graindistributer having a rotatably adjustable feed regulator with a feedregu-' lating surface that is eccentric to the axis of adjustment andhaving a central portion or hub from the periphery of which theeccentric surface starts.

2. A grain distributer having a rotatably adjustable feed regulator witha feed regulating surface that is eccentric to the center of adjustmentand having a central portion or hub from the periphery of which theeccentric surface starts, and a feed wheel concentric with said center.

3. A grain distributer having a rotatably adjustable feed regulator witha feed regu lating surface that is eccentric to the axis of adjustmentand having a central portion or hub from the periphery of which theeccentrio surface starts, in combination with a seed directing surfaceconcentric with said axis.

4. In a grain distributer, the combination of a suitable casing, a feedwheel journaled therein having a chamber in its side forming aseed-engaging rim, and a rotatably adjustable feed regulator concentricwith the feed wheel provided with a hub or central portion with arounded surface, and having an eccentric seed-engagingsurface thatstarts from said rounded surface on the hub.

5. In a grain distributer the combination of a suitable casing, a'feedwheel, having chambers in opposite sides to form seed-engaging rims, afeed regulator in each of said chambers and an adjusting shaft common toboth feed regulators.

6. In a grain distributer, the combination of a suitable casing, a feedwheel, having chambers in opposite sides to form seed-engaging rims, afeed regulator in each of said chambers, hubs on the feed regulatorsjournaling the feed wheel, and a. shaft on which both of said regulatorsare mounted.

7. In a grain distributer, the combination of a suitable casing, a feedwheel having chambers in opposite sides to form seed-engaging rims, afeed regulator in each of said chambers, and an adjusting shaft on whichboth feed regulators. are mounted so that both may be adjusted thereby,said feed wheel being concentric with said adjusting shaft.

8. In a seed distributer, the combination of a suitable casing, a feedregulator, a shaft on which the regulator ismounted, and bearings on theregulator for the feed wheel.

9. In a seed distributer, thecombination of a suitable casing, a feedwheel, a rotatably adjustable regulator, turning concentric with theaxis of the feed wheel, and which journals the feed wheel, and a lateralor side bearing between the regulator'and the feed wheel.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HARRISON B. BOZARD.

Witnesses:

E. HoLBRooK, Rosn M. SEFTON.

